Railway-head.



C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

PatenfedA Dec. l2, |899.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filed Sept. 30, 189B.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

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Patented Dec. I2, |899.

5 snms-sheet z.

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RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filed Sept. 30', 1898.)

C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. l2, |899.

C.' MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Applicatiqn led Sept. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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No, 638,976. atented Dec. I2, |899.

, P C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application med sept. ao, lisas.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No. 638,976. Patented Dec. |12, |899.

C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

RAILWAY HEAD (Application filed Sept. 30, 189B.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

'QNo Model.)

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` lJ'NiTnn STATES PATENTV Orricn.

CHARLES MILLS AND LOREN WV. PENNEY, OF N EWTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSICNORS TO THE SACO dt PETTEE MACHINE SHOPS, OF SAME PLACE.

RAI LWAY-H EAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,976, dated December12, 1899. Application filed September 30,1898. Seal Nik 692,331. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES MILLS, of Newton Upper Falls, and LOREN W.PENNEY, of Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex'and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Heads, of which the following is a description sufficientlyfull, clear, and eX- act to enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains or with which it is most nearly connected to make and use thesame.

This invention has relation to that kind of drawing-machines in whichseveral slivers are passed through the same set of rollers and arecombined into a single sliver and delivered at the front of the machine,the operation being performed for Jthe purpose of dimin-v ishing andcorrecting the irregularities as to thickness or thinness or weight ofthe slivers.

Because of the manner in which slivers were commonly obtained from thecarding-engine for treatment in drawing-machines having the capabilitymentioned the said machines received and still retain the name ofrailway-heads.

In correcting the irregularities mentionedA several slivers are not onlycombined and redrawn as one, so that a very perceptible defect in one ofthe slivers of the combination will not only be greatly reduced ornearly lost in the newly-produced sliver, but the speed of certain ofthe drawing-rollers with relation to other drawing-rollers willY beaccelerated or retarded,as the case may be, when a thin or thick placein the slivers may be passing, so that the unevenness will be as nearlycorrected as is possible.

It is the purpose of the invention to greatly simplify thespeed-governing means, enhance their efficiency, and bring them up intosubstantially the same horizontal plane as the drawing-rollersthemselves, so that their operation may be the more readily observed orwatched and so that they may be corrected when anything happens, if itshould, to go amiss or so that they may be manipulated when for otherreasons it becomes necessary.

It is also the object of the invention to provide other improvementsincidental to the foregoing, all to the ends of bettcring theconstruction and functions of the machine and in rear of the first-namedroller.

the ease and readiness with which it may be controlled and handled.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, the same letters designating the same parts orfeatures, as the case may be, wher ever they occur.

vOf the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the improvedrailway-head complete. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal sectional view from front to rear of the same.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the main-gear stand with the gearsremoved. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the main gear standas equipped with gears and as in place on the rol1er-beam, the latterbeing represented in section. Fig. 6 is a side View, partially insection, of a part of the speed -1 governing means. Fig. 7 is apartially-sectional detail view of the means for shifting thefrictionring between the two cones for controlling the speed of the backrollers.

In the drawings, ct designates the front roller or driving-shaft, onwhich are the fast and loose pulleys o h to receive the driving-belt.(Not shown.) The said driving-shaft is compounded or integral with theforemost lower drawing-roller and is provided on its end opposite tothatat which the driving-pulleys are carried with one of a train ofgearing c, properly cut, arranged, and timed to operate or drive thelower drawing-roller immediately Thus the front two sets ofdrawing-rollers will be driven uniformly by direct connection with thedriving-shaft. On the driving-shaft ce, between the foremost lowerdrawing-roller and the pulleys, is, furthermore, affixed a gear e, whichengages a gear f, secured upon the hub of a gear g, the said hub of thelatter gear being adjustable in a slot h of the main-gear stand t', saidslot being formed on Va curve concentric with the axis of the mainshaft. The gear gis a change-gear for effecting change of speed and theadjustment provided for through the medium of the slot h is to keep thegears f and g, influenced by adjustment in said slot, in proper meshwith the gears which they engage. The gear g engages and drives the gearj on the coiler-gear shaft 7c, and the latter gear IOO through themedium of an idler l drives the gear m, which operates thecalendering-rollers n n, which are suitably geared together.

o 0', in connection with the friction-ringp, operatively7 connectingthem, constitute what are commonly known as friction-cones, the cone 0on the driving-shaft being the drivingcone and the cone o' the drivencone.

The friction-ring p, by which the cone o is driven from the cone o, isengaged by the fork q of a carriage r, having a web s, which eX- tendsthrough a diagonal slot t in the bed of the machine, the said carriagebeing provided with a rack u on its under side. The rack n is engaged bya spiral gear secured on the ratchet-shaft fw, extending from front torear below the bed. The said shaft w is provided on its front end with aratchet-wheel y, which is adapted to be engaged by one or the other oftwo oppositely-arranged pawls c' on the upper end of a vibratorypawl-carrier ct, loose on the shaft and actuated through the means of areciprocatory rod b', operated by an eccentric c on the vertical shaftd', which turns the table on which the coiler-can (not shown) rests. y

The ratchet-wheel y has a segment of its teeth (extending a little morethan the distance between the free ends of the pawls s) covered by amovable tooth shield or coverer e. This tooth-coverer is loose on theshaft and operatively connected, through the medium of a lever andpitmen, with what is to all intents and purposes the rear end of thetrumpet-lever f. When a sliver of just the right thickness is runningthrough the trumpet g', the gear shield or coverer e will be held insuch position that neither of the pawls e' will engage the teeth of theratchet-wheel y, but when the sliver runs too thick the toothcovererwill be moved so as to allow one of t-he pawls to become effective inoperating the ratchet-wheel, while the other pawl is prevented by thetooth-coverer from engaging the ratchet-teeth of the wheel y, and when athin place occurs in the sliver the trumpet will be allowed to rise andthe tooth shield or coverer e will be moved so as to permit the otherpawl to become efiicient and move the ratchet-wheel in the oppositedirection.

The driven cone o' is the drivingmeans for the back set ofdrawing-rollers, it being provided with a pinion h', which engages anddrives the crown-gear t" and also drives the change-gear j', the latterbeing secured to the hub of the gear i. The gears ij have their bearingsin the bracket 7s', adapted to be swung on a circle concentric with theshaft Z of the driven cone o. The change-gearfengages and drives theidler n, which in turn engages and drives the back-roll gear m on therearmost lower drawing-roller, the latter being connected by gearing pwith the lower roller next forward. By the construction mentioned thechange of the gearing can be readily effected and all of the gears keptin proper mesh and relationship. From this it will be seen that when thesliver is running too light and the trumpet rises, causing thefriction-ring shippiug-carriage to be moved inward, carrying thefriction-ring p with it, the speed of the rear set of rollers isaccelerated, and when the stock runs too heavy the opposite effect willtake place, slowing down the speed of the back rollers and attenuatingthe sliver. l

The slivers may be taken from the guides r and spoons s, through or overwhich they pass and which may be of the usual construction.

As railway heads were heretofore constructed the entire mechanism wasdriven through the medium of the cones arranged under the table.

By the improvements mentioned the speed changing and governing means aregreatly simplified in construction and brought above the-machine-table,where their operation can be readily watched. The space underthe tablebeing formerly occupied by complicated movements, we were compelled toweight the top rolls by a complication of weights and levers. This spaceis now free to be used for direct and independent weighting of each toproll. The dead-weights hang free under the table exactly as on anordinary drawingframe.

The oblique slot in the bed provides a certain means for guiding thefork which engages the speed-changing friction-ring.

The coiler-gear shaft 7a is provided with a miter-gear .762, engaging alike miter-gear 7a3, compounded with a gear 7a4, which engages the teethof the coiler-gear 765 through the tube in which the sliver passes as itcomes from the calender-rollers and by which coilergear the sliver isdelivered to the can. (Not shown.)

The machine as a whole is compact and simple in construction, and it iscertain in its operation, while having the improved functionshereinbefore recited.

Having now fully set forth the nature and design of the improvements anddescribed a way of constructing and using the same, though withoutattempting to describe all of the equivalent forms of the saidimprovements or all of the various methods of their employment, it isdeclared that what is claimed is l. In a railwaydiead, the combinationwith the front and rear sets of drawing-rollers; of a driving and adriven friction-cone in substantial horizontality with each other andwith the drawing-rollers and geared to the two sets of the latterrespectively; together with sliver-controlled means for varying thespeed of the driven cone.

2. In a railway-head the combination of front and rear sets ofdrawing-rollers, a driving-shaft compounded with a roller of one set; adriving friction-cone carried by said shaft; a driven friction-cone insubstantial horizontality with the driving-cone, and geared to a IOO IIO

drawing-roller of the other set; together with sliver-controlled meansfor varying the speed of the driven cone.

3. In a railway-head, the combination of front and rear sets ofdrawing-rollers a driving-shaft practically one with a lower roller oione set; gearing connecting said roller with the others of its set; adriving friction-cone carried by said shaft; a driven friction-cone insubstantial horizontality with the drivingcone and geared to a lowerdrawing-roller of the other set; gearing connecting said latter rollerwith the others of its set; and slivercontrolled means for varying thespeed of the driven cone.

4. In a railway-head, the combination, with the bed of the machineprovided with an oblique slot and drawing-rollers, of aset offriction-cones above the bed for Varyin g the speed of thedrawing-rollers, the friction-rin g, a earriage provided with a fork forengaging the said ring, part of said carriage extending through the saidslot, and means below the bed for moving the carriage.

5. The combination, with the bed of the machine provided with a slot andthe two sets of drawing-rollers, of a pair of friction-oones and theirfriotion-ring above the bed of the CAB machine7 means for shifting thefriction-ring extending through the said slot, and means below the bedfor acting upon the ring-shifting means.

6. In a railway-head, the combination of the supporting beam or bed; thedrawingrollers arranged above the same; friction-cone gearing also abovesaid beam or bed and geared to the drawing-rollers; ashifter associatedwith said cone-gearing and extending through the bed; a shaft geared tosaid shifter and carrying a ratchet; pawls for turning the ratchet andits shaft; an oscillating pawlcarrier on the shaft; a verticalcoiler-shaft having an eccentric; operative connections between-thelatter and the pawl-earrier; and a sliver-controlled ratchet-shieldnormally preventing engagement between the pawls and the ratchet.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of August, AI). 1898.

CHARLES MILLS. v LOREN W. PENNEY. Witnesses:

WM. L. THoMPsoN, OHAs. R. BROWN. y

